recherché
by Constance Greene
Summary: RikuAerith Collection — 02. In which Yuffie constantly interrupts their solitude.
1. trust

author's note.

For the 30flowers challenge on LJ. Drabbles are unrelated.

disclaimer.;; kh is not mine.

¤ -- r e c h e r c h é -- ¤  
riku × aerith collection

_oo1. freesia ( trust )_

The day grew short.

Sunset spilled over Radiant Garden, beaming bending rays of the last remnants of sunlight onto the pavilion of the small village on the outskirts of the ruined castle. Goldenrod, honey and tangerine basked the cobblestones in their glittering shine, making it seem as though the pedestrians were walking on streets paved with gold like a Heaven-on-earth. People handed out sticks of ice cream for the groups of children and teens that decided to stroll at this hour, chatting and calling out greets to the familiar people and acquaintances that passed them by.

Winter had melted into spring, the restricting snowy desert receding and birthing new life in return. Sakura petals blew daintily in the gentle breeze, toying with his flowing silver hair, blossoms tangling comically into his mane. He ran his fingers through his hair, letting them float to his feet, attempting now to avoid the spidery trees flush with boughs of blush-coloured flora on his left. He drifted towards the raised stone barrier which separated the village from the castle, gazing off into the distance at it. So many memories it held; of being the castle's slave, imprisoned within its dimly-glinting exterior . . .

Memories best left forgotten. Struggling with his reminiscent interior, he turned away from the sight to hear a soft call beckoning him. Blinking his icy cerulean eyes, he looked to where the voice was coming from. On the other side of the path was a small stand, full of graceful colour. Bouquets of flowers was the background for the flower girl, standing before the corner-shop – further back, he could see a field of sunflowers blowing in the wind, nodding their large, fringed heads that positively glowed with the dull sunlight.

"Hello," The young woman called politely. "Would you like to buy a flower?"

"Not really." His eyes sidled to the right, staring longingly down the lane that had been his original destination, and then to the left, from whence he came, as if he was greatly wishing ( and expressing that desire ) to be elsewhere. Social situations were awkward to him, his reserved and untrusting self still recovering from the time he spent in hollow darkness. And he had never been fond of flowers; their smell bothered them, except perhaps the light and airy perfume Kairi smelled faintly of.

His pockets jingled with spare munny. He could certainly just buy one and give it to Kairi – what would a boy like him do with a flower? Riku would do just that if this seller continued to be persistent – or he'd walk away. He wasn't afraid of doing that, at least. But if Sora ever found out, think of the scorn he would give him – he had brought him here to socialize, to get out more. If Sora was buddy-buddy with most of the inhabitants in Radiant Garden ( _"I'm a member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, after all!"_ He'd boast ), he might know this girl with her dark chestnut hair that tumbled back behind her shoulders, and the glossy curls that framed her face.

"Please," She said. "At least smell one. It might change your mind." She bent over slightly, her hands brushing against the stems of several small, white flowers. "Here, try the freesias. Their scent is sweet." The young woman smiled kindly. "You look like you need it."

Her delicately-sculpted arm held out in front of her, offering the branch of flowers to him, he found he could not resist. After a pause when he did not take it, however ( still pondering over her last statement ), her rosy lips parted to speak again.

"Just trust me."

_Just trust me._

Fighting with his other personality, his personality that rejected doing just that, he raised a slightly trembling hand and took the sprig of flowers. Their hands barely touched in the exchange, but from what he felt, there was silk-soft skin pressing lightly against his own rougher ones. It was like an electric spark; and then it was gone.

He lifted the flowers to his nose, the tip caressing their silken pearl petals. What filled his senses was a swirl of sugary-sweetness, just like her voice.

He lowered it with mild actions. "You're right. It does smell . . . nice," He said. "Thank you," He added.

"See? It wasn't so bad." The flower girl's jade eyes appeared pleased.

Riku rifled through his pockets and pushed a few coins onto the counter of the booth, sparkling in the sunlight. Then he walked away, mystified, holding the flower in his hand.

Instead of giving them to Kairi, he kept the flowers for himself, reminding him of the steps he had taken to grow closer to happiness.

---¤

humm. I dunno. I guess it's alright. 29 more to go.

anyway, please review.


	2. solitude

¤ -- r e c h e r c h é -- ¤  
riku × aerith collection

_oo4. heath ( solitude ) _

The undeniable force that propelled him to knock on the door could have been Fate or God being exceptionally cruel. Pick your beliefs; either would work, depending on the outcome. He had raised his hand and rapped on the wooden surface of the door with his knuckles, suddenly taken away by the swirls and patterns in the polished wood, studying them furiously. In it, he saw the lopsided figure of a cat. He peered further, intent upon scrutinizing the designs, and found a sea serpent as classical as Nessie. Then, there were flowers. And a . . .

A ninja?

"What do you want?" The girl dressed in scanty midnight ninja attire put a hand on her narrow hip, looking at him with speculative brown eyes. He blinked. This must have been the owner of the voice he had heard faintly behind the door before it opened, yelling, _"Coooooooming!"_

"Is Aerith there?"

She flicked her short jet black hair with a hand. "Why does _Aerith_ get all the attention with the boys? Are you her _boyfriend _or something?"

For a moment, he was taken aback by her words. Regaining himself, he forced out a smooth excuse. "No. We're just friends."

"Good. 'Cause Leon wouldn't be happy." The girl, who looked about his age ( and she actually was – he just didn't know it ) pivoted on her feet and turned towards the interior of the small house. Her mouth formed the shape that would beckon out the first syllable of Aerith's name, but then unexpectedly morphed into a grin/grimace to bellow out from the depths of her lungs: "Leeeeeeeeeee_ooooooooon_!"

The male decided to run if the one being summoned decided to show up. In the end, he did; following closely after the ninja saying, "Someone's at the door for you!", he heard a distant voice calling him from out back.

"Riku, over here!"

Riku was drawn towards the aesthetically pleasing voice, making his way around the small house right when he heard a despaired voice echo behind him: "Aww, where'd he go?" Stuffing his hands into his pockets as he grew closer, he felt himself growing slightly more tamed, able to roll his shoulders back and stroll towards the one he had come for. Once he caught her in his sights he couldn't help but tense up again, if only a little – her angelic presence always surrounded him in such a constricting aura.

She was kneeling, her brown boots visible beneath a rose-toned skirt. She had thick gloves on, perhaps made out of the same material as her boots, and was attending to a thorny bush with vibrant purple flowers decorating its vines. Her long hair, tied in a loose braid, cascaded down her back and was brushed patiently to the side, lining her elegant arm. Multiple shrubs and colourful flowers encircled her, closing her off from the world and keeping her safe with their melodic sway and perfume fragrance.

Aerith brushed her gloves lightly on the sides of her skirt – something he was mildly surprised at her doing – and focused her green eyes on him, the line of a smile toying on her lips. "So, I see you've met the others?"

"I was only graced with the presence of one. Would have been two, if you hadn't led me back here."

She chuckled softly, and a loose strand of her bangs fell into her face. She tucked them back carefully. "Well, those are my friends. Of course, yours didn't make quite the same impression on me . . ." The girl trailed off, gazing into the distance, that faint smile still on her perfect mouth. "They're very dear to me."

"I understand . . ." He said, kneeling to face her, his arm propped up on his jutting knee. "Friends help, no matter what they're like." He, of course, was reminded of how they took special care of him after he came back to Destiny Islands. Although, he couldn't say the same about himself.

She dipped her head in a nod. "They were the only friends I had left when we abandoned Radiant Garden."

Riku shifted slightly, aware that this was a slightly uncomfortable topic. "So . . . this is your garden?"

Aerith clasped her hands together and laid them gently on her lap. "Yes. Do you like it?"

"I do." His aquamarine eyes moved to a plant supporting scarlet flowers. "What's this one here called?"

"A heath. It means solitude – it reminds me the most of why I go here. For quiet, and some time alone."

"Sorry if I'm interrupting that time."

"Not at all, Riku." She smiled kindly. "You're a welcome presence."

"Well, then." He grabbed a twig from the ground and began to swirl it around in the dirt. "Am I a dear friend, too?"

"Close – you're getting there. But not yet." She focused her jade eyes on him. "Why the rush?"

"Just not used to this, that's all." He seemed to visibly struggle again, his eyes looking irritated and far-off. "Didn't get a lot of chances to make new friends in the darkness." There had been Mickey – and maybe – not for sure – Naminé. But most of the 'people' he had met had been bad guys he wanted nothing to do with.

"That part is over now, Riku," Aerith said quietly. "You can live again. There's sunlight all around you. Breathe in."

He obeyed. He tilted his head back, eyes glittering and slitting in the sunlight, and inhaled deeply, his pale neck exposed.

"Feel better?"

He exhaled softly. "Yeah."

"See; it works."

"Only when you're here. If Sora had suggested it, I wouldn't have done it."

"Maybe Sora just isn't the best at persuasion." She flashed him a wink – it could have been just her eyelids fluttering. "Do you know how to garden?"

"My mom kept a Japanese garden before she died. I remember it still . . . even after my father ripped it up and turned it into a built-in pool," He recalled.

"I bet it was very lovely."

"It was. Peaceful."

"Could you bring me that bag of soil by the porch?"

Riku got up with some difficulty – he had been sitting in a stiff position on the hard ground for quite a while, and his back was giving him problems. He stretched, feeling the reassuring 'pop' as the bones and tendons in his back flexed ( _"You shouldn't do that, Riku,"_ Kairi constantly warned him. _"It just makes the pain worse."_ ), and walked toward the back door of the stone house. While he was bending over to grab the rim of the bag of soil, he saw a familiar head poke out the window, watching him. As he was walking back to Aerith, he heard her call behind him.

"Aeeeerith, don't stay too long out there! We need you to make dinner for us!"

"Why don't you order Chinese?" She called back.

"We had that last _night_!" He heard the slight thud as she supposedly stomped her foot. "If you don't, Cid will fix up some of his nasty Leftovers Stew!"

"There's ramen in the pantry. You remember how to cook that, don't you, Yuffie?"

"Why don't you make your slave do it!" She said, 'humph'ing, and trudged off.

Aerith shook her head. "Yuffie . . . please forgive her. She has a temper sometimes."

"Yuffie, huh?" Riku's eyes were slightly wide. "I think I remember Sora telling me about her . . . what he said was right. She's just,"

"A little," Aerith added.

"Insane." They finished together, and both laughed quietly.

He lowered the bag of soil onto the ground beside Aerith. When she asked, he opened it for her, and on her orders, he took a handful of rich brown soil and patted it around a plant, cushioning it.

"Planting isn't all that hard," She admitted. "It's like an art."

"I never was good at art," Riku commented, leaning back and remembering. In fact, the Island Trio wasn't known for their skills in aesthetics – Kairi was the only one with remote talent, and that was more for crafts and jewellry. Now that Naminé had made herself distinct, she was drawing more, but they were still not masters of the sport.

"I like to plant because I feel I'm giving something life."

"Life," Riku repeated. It was just as DiZ constantly told him – Roxas had no life, he wasn't real; there was no need to care about him but for the simple task of bringing Sora back. "Do you have a God complex, Aerith?"

She chuckled. "No. I assume it just comes from my gift of healing."

She was about to brush her dirt-powdered hands off on her skirt, but Riku stopped her by taking her hands in his own and clasping them together. "Don't. Let me."

The girl looked at him steadily with her malachite eyes as he lowered their hands and let her wipe hers off on his knee.

"They're dirty anyway."

"Your back," She said, in a change of subject, "is it still hurting?"

"Only sometimes."

"Would you like me to look at it?" She asked.

"No – it's fine," He replied, a little startled. "It doesn't bother me when . . ." Riku forced himself to look at her eyes. "When I'm with you."

Aerith smiled. "Good; then you'll come back again?"

"When you promise your friends won't attack me."

Her eyes lit up with amusement. "Promise."

"_Aeeeeeeriiiiith! _Stop flirting out there! My stomach is _roaring_!"

Riku blinked. Aerith rolled her eyes. "She doesn't bite," She assured him.

"Real-ly . . ."

"I'll have to properly introduce you two someday. She isn't all that bad once you get to know her." The brunette shrugged her shoulders delicately. "She grows on you."

"Like a fungus?" Riku suggested.

Aerith tucked a strand of bangs back behind her ear. "When will you visit again?"

The teen scrunched up his nose lightly in thought. "Eh . . . Sora said he wanted to have an unofficial blitz ball tournament all day tomorrow, and Kairi had something planned the next day . . . The day after that?"

She held out her hand, her slender pink extended. "Do you pinky-promise?"

Riku was hesitant. He hadn't done that since he was a _kid_.

But he curled his pinky around hers anyway. "Yeah."

_Solitude doesn't have to be with just one person. Two people make it complete. _

---¤

mreh. The ending and stuff suuuucks. D8 So pointless.


End file.
